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ScunnyDan

Scunthorpe Scorpions 2020

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I remember the other side of that argument. Going to Cradley where we smashed every team. Most seemed to love it but I found it boring and eventually stopped going for a good many years. Best speedway I've seen week on week was at Monmore for about 10 years from the late 90s. Every week the action was brilliant and being a Heathen I wasn't too bothered if Wolves won or lost until I started turning but that's another story. Lol

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10 hours ago, romans lovechild said:

speedway for me is not about winning, it is about watching 4 guys turning left and racing, to me it is more about the entertainment value than seeing your team win all the time, sport is supposed to be about 2 teams battling it out for supremecy and not knowing the winners before you go, i remember in the late 70`s/ early 80`s when sheffield did not have too good a side and there was some close meetings which the tigers lost quite a few of, but these were enjoyable to watch as you never knew the outcome.

This is where the sport has two very distinct fan groups and are at odds with each other as how Speedway should be. One side are the club supporting happy clappers who care mostly about the results of their own team and will defend even the worst riders until a better option comes along, those who happily sling mud at other teams but will not attend after a run of bad results. The other side are the Speedway fans who want to be entertained and the result is often secondary providing the racing on show is up to scratch. 

Obviously there are exceptions but for the most part there is one fan base split into two groups, you can't please everyone and yet the sport needs them all.

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17 hours ago, mikebv said:

Or maybe it has THJ?

A bit of short term pain for long term gain?

Flying in and out hundreds of journeymen foreign riders over the years and planning fixtures around these riders agendas, regardless of whether a good night to run or not, whilst at the same time reducing the places available to UK riders could now be a thing of the past...

Those who run the sport have steadfastly avoided "the bleedin' obvious" so maybe the pandemic has forced their hand and it will be for the best in the long run?

It’s a very valid point actually. How can it be justified to fly riders like Kasper Anderson in and out of the country, who let’s be honest, is a second string at best - when a British rider should and could be given that opportunity for much less cost and in this case, do just a good a job?

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7 minutes ago, Najjer said:

It’s a very valid point actually. How can it be justified to fly riders like Kasper Anderson in and out of the country, who let’s be honest, is a second string at best - when a British rider should and could be given that opportunity for much less cost and in this case, do just a good a job?

A mistake repeated time and time and time again over the past 20 to 30 years or so..

Simply Rinse and Repeat when the journeymen you spend lots of money on, and change fixture lists for, (which impacts your customers), dont come up to scratch...

"Lets bring Anders Karlsson in and if that doesnt work we can bring Karl Andersson in instead"..

And all to try and win competitions that even Mickey Mouse wouldn't admit to being in charge of..

A very strange way to run things.. 

 

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1 hour ago, mikebv said:

A mistake repeated time and time and time again over the past 20 to 30 years or so..

Simply Rinse and Repeat when the journeymen you spend lots of money on, and change fixture lists for, (which impacts your customers), dont come up to scratch...

"Lets bring Anders Karlsson in and if that doesn't work we can bring Karl Andersson in instead"..

And all to try and win competitions that even Mickey Mouse wouldn't admit to being in charge of..

A very strange way to run things.. 

 

Thing is there was always the hope of bringing in an Ole Olsen Anders Michanek Niki Pedersen Kenneth Bjerre Kenni Larsen Rene Back Peter Kildermand Freddie Lindgren Jacob Thorssell and any other Scandinavian who might give your team a boost then offer a return on a transfer (especially to second tier teams) or some of the other riders like Ludvig Lindgren Lasse Bjerre Dickie Juul Rasmus Jensen and many others who were attractive propositions as they worked hard and offered regular points for a team... even the bad ones or lets be polite and say the ones who didn't quite make the grade still came committed with good gear and a different work ethic to the current crop of UK guys... so you can see the attraction of bringing in the Johnny Foreigner... (apologies for the colloquialism)

Agreed it is/was "A very strange way to run things" and as per your previous post what an opportunity to change things and I think it must be dawning on promotions that the current model isn't quite right in the current environment but what an opportunity to change things around and shake things up. Lets hope that opportunity isn't wasted because I sincerely think that the Polish position will change next year and they will stop riders racing anywhere else other than in Poland and if that does happen there will be a lot of squad member's in Polish teams; of all nationalities having to make tough decisions… Do they want to race or warm a bench waiting for their opportunity when someone gets injured or their form drops off and not have the opportunity to race anywhere else in Europe... Who knows...

But that's next year!!! lets get this one over first...

Regards
THJ

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1 hour ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

Thing is there was always the hope of bringing in an Ole Olsen Anders Michanek Niki Pedersen Kenneth Bjerre Kenni Larsen Rene Back Peter Kildermand Freddie Lindgren Jacob Thorssell and any other Scandinavian who might give your team a boost then offer a return on a transfer (especially to second tier teams) or some of the other riders like Ludvig Lindgren Lasse Bjerre Dickie Juul Rasmus Jensen and many others who were attractive propositions as they worked hard and offered regular points for a team... even the bad ones or lets be polite and say the ones who didn't quite make the grade still came committed with good gear and a different work ethic to the current crop of UK guys... so you can see the attraction of bringing in the Johnny Foreigner... (apologies for the colloquialism)

Regards
THJ

Yep totally agree. It seems promotors would sooner sign a Dane, a Swede or an Aussie just because they think they might be decent because of their nationality. You think back over the years like Jedd List, Ricky Wallace, Kurt Shields, was it Michael Penfold at Glasgow? Some of them could barely turn the bike, let alone score some decent points for their team.

Now is the time to back the Brits. You only have to see how it’s benefitted the Poles by them taking.... and continuing on that path.

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1 hour ago, Najjer said:

Yep totally agree. It seems promotors would sooner sign a Dane, a Swede or an Aussie just because they think they might be decent because of their nationality. You think back over the years like Jedd List, Ricky Wallace, Kurt Shields, was it Michael Penfold at Glasgow? Some of them could barely turn the bike, let alone score some decent points for their team.

Now is the time to back the Brits. You only have to see how it’s benefitted the Poles by them taking.... and continuing on that path.

Speedway's answer to Football's "Carlos Kickaball"...

"He's comes from a country that's really good at Football/Speedway (delete as applicable), so let's sign him"...

Watching lots of Speedway on YouTube it is incredible how many riders appear for so many different teams down the years (not guesting either, actually contracted for that year)..

The same "journeymen" foreign riders going on the club "merry go round"  hitting five to six point averages year in year out, never improving by much, never decreasing in standard by much..

Almost as if they realised hitting a certain average would get likely get them a place the following year, whilst hitting a higher average would possibly leave them out in the cold...:rolleyes:;)

Edited by mikebv

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5 hours ago, Najjer said:

It’s a very valid point actually. How can it be justified to fly riders like Kasper Anderson in and out of the country, who let’s be honest, is a second string at best - when a British rider should and could be given that opportunity for much less cost and in this case, do just a good a job?

I agree, I'd understand if the choice is Bjarne Petersen vs James Sarjeant, but if it's Kasper Andersen vs Connor Mountain, why pay for flights for a rider who is maybe 0.2 stronger than a Brit!

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6 hours ago, Najjer said:

It’s a very valid point actually. How can it be justified to fly riders like Kasper Anderson in and out of the country, who let’s be honest, is a second string at best - when a British rider should and could be given that opportunity for much less cost and in this case, do just a good a job?

As Redcar do not pay Andersen’s flights , it does not need to be justified.

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40 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

As Redcar do not pay Andersen’s flights , it does not need to be justified.

But the points money Redcar pay Anderson would have to reflect that, so they would still be paying for them indirectly .

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26 minutes ago, arnieg said:

But the points money Redcar pay Anderson would have to reflect that, so they would still be paying for them indirectly .

Thats assuming he scores enough points to cover his flights!

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42 minutes ago, arnieg said:

But the points money Redcar pay Anderson would have to reflect that, so they would still be paying for them indirectly .

That’s stupid, you may as well say they pay for his bacon sandwich and tins of red bull !

Now back to the Skunny thread.

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Sorry 'Skunny' thread but when/why did assessed averages for new foreign riders get reduced?  I'm sure Nicki/Bjarne Pedersen and Kenneth Bjerre can in on 9 or at least 8 assessed so they had to have a certain pedigree to be given a chance.  It got reduced to 7 when the Diamonds went for Rune Knudsen which obviously didn't pay off but it's now 4???  If you're in the game of collecting rider assets you'd probably always go for a new foreigner on a 4.

Whack it back up to at least 7 and, importantly, don't let their average ever fall below the assessed level.  

Just to bring it back to 'Skunny' they'd not be under the points limit if Aarnio and Piper had assessed 7 averages

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1 hour ago, Ringitsneck said:

That’s stupid, you may as well say they pay for his bacon sandwich and tins of red bull !

Now back to the Skunny thread.

No it isn't. It is basic economics. If the cost of riding goes up (be it flights, tuning, adverse exchange rate movements) the rider will seek to cover the extra costs by seeking more money from his club.

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